Bobby pin holder



1958 J. J. CAMPAGNA 2,833,291

Q BOBBY PIN HOLDER Filed Feb. 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOSEPH J. CAMPAGNA BY @Q/W m A T TO/PNE VS United States Patent BOBBY PIN HOLDER Joseph J. Campagna, San Jose, Calif.

Application February 16, 1956, Serial No. 565,876

Claims. (Cl. 132-1) The present invention relates to a bobby pin holder, and pertains more particularly to such a holder in which a bobby pin may be readily gripped by either hand of an operator, the legs of the pin separated to open the pin for insertion in the hair, and the pin removed from the holder while gripped in such open condition.

In dressing a womans hair, whether the operation is performed by the person herself or by a professional hair dresser, it is common practice at present in the United,

States to use a clip-type of hair pin commonly known as a bobby pin. These bobby pins, as is well known to those versed in the art, are ordinarily made of a suitable length of flattened spring steel wire of suitable cross sectional shape, bent reversely upon itself in the form of a flattened U, with one or both legs thereof corrugated to assist in gripping the hair. The free terminal end portions of the legs are rounded oif so as to permit the pin to enter the hair freely.

These bobby pins are furnished either packed in a suitable container or wrapper, or clipped onto a supporting device such as a piece of cardboard. Before inserting the pins into the hair it is first necessary to separate the free ends of the two legs thereof. In order to do this it usually is necessary for the operator to use both hands, 'one to hold the pin and the other to pry apart the free ends of the pin.

An object of'the present invention is to provide an improved device for holding bobby pins, which device may be readily mounted upon a supporting surface, and from which the pins may be removed readily, gripped in opened condition, by either hand of an operator.

The invention further provides a bobby pin holder hav ing a thin, sheet-like bobby pin support member with a.

reverse bend therein, the bobby pin support member being of thin, hard surfaced sheet material to permit thev bobby pins to be moved slidably thereon. The reverse bend provides a restraining support for one leg of a bobby pin while exposing'the other leg for gripping between the; thumb and forefinger of an operator to open, and remove the pin in open condition from the holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bobby pin holder onto which a plurality of bobby pins may be clipped, and along which they may be individually moved slidably transversely of their lengths, with one leg of the pin within the holder while the other leg is exposed to facilitate gripping and opening of the pin.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and 'the accompanying drawings consisting of two sheets,

. preparatory to removing a pin toward the right for removal.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the righthand end portion of Fig. 1, with the bobby pin slidably moved transversely of its length to bring its inner leg into a reversely bent portion of the device. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing one leg of the hobby pin gripped and swung outwardly to open the pin preparatory to its removal.

Fig. 4 shows the bobby pin in opened condition,'re-

1 moved from the holder and gripped between an operamaterials.

known to those familiar with the plastics art, they will tors thumb and forefinger.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 5--5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the bobby pin supporting portion of the device showing it removed from a supporting vacuum cup mounting member. 5 I

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the vacuum cup mounting member as it appears when separated from the bobby pin supporting portion.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention. i

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 99 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is an end 'elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 8 resting in non-adhered relation on a supporting surface.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 showing the suction cup pressed down into adhering relation with the supporting surface.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a further modified form of the invention.

In general, a bobby pin holder A embodying the in-' vention, and shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, comprises a base portion 10 and a hobby pin support member 11 surfaced material such as. metal or one of the hard plastic Since many of the latter materials are well not be enumerated herein.

Bobby pins 13, clipped onto the loop 12, may be moved' slidably therealong 'as by means of ones thumb nail 14 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Reverse bends 17 and 18 at each end of the flattened loop portion 12 are sufficiently open to permit the inner leg 13a of a hobby pin 13 to be moved into either reverse bend 17 or 18 as desired, but at the same time, are suficiently flat to permit the outer leg 13b of a bobby pin located with its inner leg 13a in the bend, to be grasped by ones thumb 15 and' forefinger 16 spanning the bend as shown in Fig. 3.

Thus, a pin 13 having its inner leg 13a positioned within either the bend 17 or 18 may be easily opened (Fig. 3),

, gripped in open condition by the same movement (Fig.

3'), and then removed from the holder by pulling the pin lengthwise free of the support 11 ready for use (Fig. 4).

The base member 10 comprises a conventional concavo-c'onvex vacuum cup portion 10a of resilient material such as rubber, with a laterally flanged mounting portion 10b molded integrally therewith.

The inner run 12b of the flattened loop portion 12 preferably is thickened centrally thereof at 19 (Figs. 5 and 6) and has a rectangular recess 20 formed therein. Undercut marginal recesses 21 are provided around three sides of this recess 20, and the fourth sideof the recess is open to receive the lateral flanges 22' which project from threesides of the portion 10b.

The band forming the loop portion 12 preferably is of a width approximately equal to the length ofabobby pin 13 (Fig. 1) to be mounted thereon. I The outer run 12aof the flattened loop portion 12 preferably'is of slightly outwardly concave curvature, since the articulated action of the wrist and elbow joints causes ones hand to tend to move in an arcuate path when moving 17 or 18 as the case may be.

Although the accompanying drawing and the foregoing description thereof illustrates more particularly the operation of removing a hobby, pin from the right hand end of the device A by means of an operators righthand, it will be obvious that the'operation may be performed in a similar but reverse manner, wtih the. left ,hand to selectively supply an, opened bobby pin to either hand as required.

When the supply of bobby 'pinson the holder A is depleted, either the entire pin support member 11 may be removed from the base member andreplaced with a filled support member, or the supply may be replenished by clipping additional pins onto the loop '12 as required.

In the modified form B of the invention shown in Figs. 8.to 11 inclusive, a bobby pin holder, member 30 consists of a strip 31 of resilient sheet material which may be similar to the loop portion .12 of the member 11 of Fig. l. The strip 31 is folded centrally thereof at 32 to inverted V-shape, and a transverse portion 33 extendsv between the sides of the folded member 30 in the form of the cross bar of a capital letter A. r

A vacuum cup 34 is attached to the center of the transverse portion 33 as by inserting a headed portion 35 of the vacuum cup into a hole 37 provided therefor centrally of the transverse portion 33. The transverse portion 33 is at a height from a flat surface 38 upon'which rest the free ends of the sides 39 and 40 of the folded support member 30 (Fig. 10), sothat the vacuum cup 34 will approximately just touch the surface38.

By then pressing downwardly on the head 35 of the vacuum cup to flatten it to the position shown in Fig. 11 and expel the air therefrom in a well known manner, the transverse portion 33 is curved downwardly, thereby tending to bow outwardly the lower ends of the sides 39 and 40. The resilience of the sheet material from which the support member 30 and the transverse portion 33 are made tends to return these parts to their normal, flat condition, thereby placing these parts under stress and securely attaching the device to the supporting surface 38 provided the latter is smooth, flat, and non-porous.

The bobby pins 13 are fitted over the edges of the side portions 39 and 40 of the folded support member 30 in a manner similar to that described previously herein for the support 11 of Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. A slotted hole 41 preferably is provided centrally of the fold portion 32 of the support member 30 to facilitategrasping the outer leg 13a of a bobby pin 13 (Figs. 8 and 9) which has been moved into the fold in the manner shown for the holder A in Figs. 1 and 2 and described previously herein. Thereupon the outer leg 13b of the bobby pin may be pulled outwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 3 and withdrawn lengthwise from the support.

The further modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 12 has a body portion 50 of thin sheet material and of inverted V-shape. The lower end portions 51 and 52 of the body portion 50 are bent inwardly into overlapping relation, and are overlaid by a curved strip 53 of relatively stitf-springy material, which maybe of plastic. A suction cup 54 has a threaded stem portion (not shown) whichis threaded through aligned holes provided therefor in the overlapping end portions 51 and 52', and in the curved strip 53. A thumb nut 55 secures the parts firmly in position. An opening 57 in the ridge portion 50a of the body portion facilitates grasping a pin for removal.

The invention provides a simple, inexpensive and highly utilitarian bobby pin holder which greatly facilitates the placingof bobby pins in 'the hair either. by a woman dressing her own hair or by a hair dresser or beauty operator dressing the hair of a customer or employer. Use of the device permits one to hold a lock of hair in arranged condition with one hand while taking an open bobby pin and inserting it in the hair with the other hand.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and one modified form thereof, it will be understood however, that other changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims. 1

l. A bobby pin holder comprising a band-like member of smooth, hard surfaced sheet material folded reversely upon itself along a predetermined line of fold, the side portions of the sheet material on opposite sides of the line of fold being divergent at an acute angle to receive a leg of a bobby pin clipped onto the band-like member within the fold, a transverse member extending between the diverging side portions in the form of a cross bar of a capital letter A, and a vacuum cup attached to the transverse member for attaching the holder to a smooth non-porous surface.

2. A bobby pin holder-comprising a sheet of relatively stiff material folded reversely upon itself along a predetermined line of fold, said sheet having an opening therein at the line of fold of a size to facilitate grasping between a thumb and finger the outer leg of a bobby pin clipped onto the sheet and with one leg thereof within the fold, a resilient transverse member mounted between the side portions of the folded sheet therebyholding the free ends of said side portions apart, a vacuum cup attached medially to the transverse member with its concave cup face directed away from the fold, the transverse member being at such a height that when the holder is supported with the free ends of its side portions on a flat surface and the vacuum cup is depressed for suction engagement with such supporting surface, the transverse member will be bowed downwardly, thereby resiliently urging the free ends of the folded sheet into pressure engagement with the supporting surface.

3. A bobby pin holder comprising a body portion of sheet material bent to inverted V shape, lower portions of each side of the body portion bent inwardly into overlapping relation, a curved strip of resilient material in relatively superposed relation with said overlapping portions, a suction cup mounted centrally beneath the curved strip, a shank on the vacuum cup passing through aligned holes in the curved strip and the overlapping portions, and a fastener on the shank securing the strip and the overlapping portions to the vacuum cup, the center of the curved strip being at a height to cause a flexing of the curved strip when the vacuum cup is pressed down for suction engagement with a flat surface upon which the holder is mounted.

4. A bobby pin holder comprising a body portion of sheet material bent to inverted V shape, a downwardly concave curved portion of resilient material interconnecting the lower ends of the body portion, and a suction cup mounted centrally beneath the curved portion, the center of. the curved portion being at a height to cause a flexing of the curved portion when the vacuum cup is pressed down for suction engagement with a flat surface upon which the holder is mounted.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4 wherein an opening is provided centrally of the apex portion of the body portion to facilitate grasping the outer leg of a bobby pin mounted with an inner leg thereof within said apex portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,150,957 Albright Mar. 21, 1939 2,548,561 Sewol Apr. 10, 1951 2,551,991 Armstrong et al May 8, 1951 

